A SKELETON FOUND. 545 



relics of our countrymen were obtained from these peo- 

 ple ; we could not carry away all we might have pur- 

 chased. They pointed to the inlet we had crossed the 

 day before, and told us that one day's march up it, 

 and thence four days overland, brought them to the 

 wreck. None of them had been there since 1857-8, at 

 which time they said but little remained, their country- 

 men having carried away almost everything. 



" Most of our information was received from an intel- 

 ligent old woman. She said it was in the fall of the 

 year that the ship was forced ashore ; many of the white 

 men dropped by the way as they went towards the 

 Great River ; but this was only known in the winter fol- 

 lowing, when their bodies were discovered. 



" They all assured us that we would find natives upon 

 the south shore, at the Great River, and some few at the 

 wreck ; but unfortunately this was not the case. Only 

 one family was met with off Point Booth, and none at 

 Montreal Island, or any place subsequently visited. 



" Point Ogle, Montreal Island, and Barrow Island, 

 were searched, without finding anything except a few 

 scraps of copper and iron in an Esquimaux hiding-place. 



"Recrossing the strait to King William's Island, we 

 continued the examination of its southern shore, with- 

 out success, until the 24th of May, when, about ten 

 miles eastward of Cape Ilerschell, a bleached skeleton 

 was found, around which lay fragments of European 

 clothing. Upon carefully removing the snow, a Small 

 pocket-book was found, containing a few letters. These, 

 although much decayed, may yet be deciphered. Judg- 

 ing from the remains of his dress, this unfortunate young 

 man was a steward or officer's servant, and his position 

 exactly verified the Esquimaux's assertion chat they 

 dropped as they walked along. 



" On reaching Cape Ilerschell, next day, we exam- 



35 



